As our parents and grandparents get older and it becomes harder for them to live independently, nursing homes are a way for families to have peace of mind, knowing that their loved ones are being cared for properly when they can’t be there. It’s estimated that there are over 3.2 million Americans who are living in nursing homes and that as many as 40% of adults will live in a nursing home at one point in their lives.
Though most nursing home workers care deeply about their residents and want to provide excellent care to them, there is, unfortunately, a large nursing home abuse problem all over the country. Nursing Home Abuse Guide estimates that 1 in 6 nursing home patients receives abuse every year—and that may be a low estimate, considering that for every reported case of abuse, more than five cases may go unreported.
Elder abuse is a complicated issue because it can be difficult to detect, but when it’s happening it can be deadly: Seniors who have been abused have a 300% greater chance of death in the three years following the abuse than those who aren’t abused.
It’s difficult enough to make the decision to place a family member or loved one in a nursing home, let alone having to worry about nursing home abuse.
If you suspect that a family member or loved one has been abused in their nursing home facility, you should act as soon as possible.
Here are a few things that you should know if you suspect that your loved one has experienced nursing home abuse:
NURSING HOME ABUSE CAN CONSIST OF MANY TYPES OF ABUSE
When we think of nursing home abuse, our mind might immediately go to physical abuse, but that’s unfortunately not the only type of danger that seniors could potentially face when living in an abusive situation. Seniors can also get sexually abused, psychologically abused, or financially exploited by abusive nursing home workers. There are also cases of neglect in nursing homes, where a senior is not bathed or fed properly by the staff.
If your loved one has experienced any type of abuse by staff or from another resident at their nursing home facility, the first step is to try to get them out of the situation as quickly as possible. The second step is to contact an experienced legal team to pursue litigation against whoever is responsible for abusing your nursing home patient.
Has a family member been abused in a nursing home in Georgia? Call the Fry Law team today at (404) 948-3571 to set up a consultation. You don’t have to face this alone.
